My Looming Notfunness
So, y’all know I have been through a lot this past year, health-wise.
Good news: I am in much better shape now than I was a year ago.
Until last August I never had health insurance so going to a doctor was something fraught with financial terror. But, since August, I now have Medicare, Plan D, and Supplemental. Thanks, Democrats!!!!!!!!!!
Thus financially protected I began a bewildering program of tests.
Instantly it was discovered that I was riddled with blood clots. Which can prove lethal. This explained my total lack of energy and why everything had become sooooooooo difficult. Once, after walking up the front porch steps of the Cross House, I was winded. I knew: something is very wrong.
Since taking blood thinner medicine (which helps the body absorb the clots) I felt better immediately. And my right calf (swollen bigly, quite pink, and quite sore) did, after many months, look again like my left calf, rather then a calf looking like it belonged to a different person. A very weird sight.
This possible death sentence aside, all the many subsequent tests indicate that, for an old guy, I seemed…seemed…in pretty good shape.
My heart seems OK. Ditto for my liver (when told this I replied: “I still have a liver?”). My lungs look good (aside from more clots). And so on.
A PET scan though offered an indication of something amiss. Nothing scary, I was told. Just…odd. There is something called an ileocecal valve in our colons. And my valve had an issue. Or, an issue adjacent.
Three months after the first scan another was scheduled. And the SUV numbers had…EEK!…doubled. This meant that whatever the issue was…it had gotten worse. Even doubled though, I was assured that the number was still low enough to not freak out about. It just meant that whatever the issue was (which might be nothing), it was not going away on its own.
The doctors didn’t think it was cancer for a number of reasons but then rattled off a bewildering array of It Might Be Though.
Thus, my first colonoscopy is scheduled for very early Tuesday morning at the Kansas University Medical Center. I will have to leave my house at…sigh…4:30AM. And all day Monday will be spent, well, y’all know. Thank the gods I have a bidet. There will also be no food all day and no…oh, the horror…wine late at night.
In short, Monday is gonna be sooooooooooo not fun, and ditto for Tuesday morning. I am dreading the next 36 hours.
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Horrible what you been going through. I pray you will overcome.
I’m about your age and started using Red Light Therapy but doubt Medicare will cover it. Look into it.
Consider the vaccine as a culprit for clots. Sorry but as a 40 year professional health care provider our government did us wrong over the virus. I can be political too.
Agreed; the amount of credible information and documentation about this entire fiasco is huge and still growing. More and more whistleblowers are speaking up. Why is Trump NOT being held to account for his enormous role in pushing these injections (Operation Warp Speed)? Why is he STILL defending them? Why does the current administration ALSO continue to push them? Why aren’t the masses outraged?
The the vast numbers of politicians, government workers, pharmaceutical company employees, CDC and FDA employees, etc., who were exempted from mandatory injections is very telling. Similarly, there was no mandate for the nation’s ginormous homeless population. Will the masses ever get angry? Sadly, many will line up for the next magic potion which will appear soon after the next scary virus or variant. Probably not as many as did the first time, however.
Good luck on Tuesday, Ross, and please take the advice of those below who urge you to get someone to drive you home.
Dear AO,
You wrote: “…who were exempted from mandatory injections…”
Actually, every single person in America was exempted from mandatory injections. Because mandatory injections were never instituted.
Also, thanks for the good luck! Regarding a ride home: I will walk from the hospital the few blocks to my friend Kenny’s house. He left a key for me, and his guest bedroom will be made up. And Jet will keep my company while I nap.
That is a great relief to know that you won’t be driving right away! While it’s true that everyone was able to refuse the injections, many people were threatened with the loss of their jobs if they refused. Healthcare workers, after being called heroes at the height of the scare, were suddenly demonized and threatened with the loss of income if they did not comply with mandates! Members of Congress and pharmaceutical company employees were not treated in this cruel fashion. Healthcare workers were not the only people treated in this way. So technically yes, but many were still forced to comply if they wanted to keep their jobs.
Dear AO,
In America, we have a long tradition of people having to get vaccinations.
No child can attend public school without getting vaccinations. Their parents have the freedom to choose: Get the kids vaccinated or no school.
No adult can join the military without getting vaccinations. They have the freedom to choose: Get vaccinated or no military.
Healthcare workers have a long history of vaccinations. And they, too, have long had the freedom to choose: Get vaccinated or no job. Same for teachers and many professions.
For many decades, Americans have accepted the value of vaccinations to keep both individuals, and the public, safe. I support this 100%.
Only recently did vaccinations become a political hot potato, with almost all the anti-vaccine rhetoric coming from the Right. Karma though soon entered the discussion: For many months now more Republicans die from Covid than Democrats.
Good to hear someone with a pragmatic approach to this latest public health fiasco.
We can’t always trust our political leaders to do what is right especially in light of the corporate coup d’etat of our country.
I speak as an observer and nurse of 40 years. I participated in San Francisco’s Covid response and spoke to many scared lay people with clinical guidance.
My years in the industry allowed me the opportunity to observe first hand the response of H1N1- remember that? Years of education and practice allow me to comment not as a conspirator, as many like to gas light those whose opinions differ but with expertise.
Consider natural immunity, informed consent, the lack of full disclosure, and legal protections of the pharmaceutical companies. For those few concepts I can name there is a reason to be concerned about the veracity of the US public health response.
Lastly, take responsibility for your own health! Our system does not profit from prevention or healthy behaviors but from disease and illness.
Choose to fight for your right to live with a healthy body- it isn’t easy but there are pioneers out there showing how to prevent and reverse some of the most chronic diseases.
Once you get on the hamster wheel it’s not easy to disengage. Trust the voices in the wilderness or at least consider a different or improved way to live out your life. Be your own best advocate. Dr. P.
Susan, thank you for pointing out some of the numerous red flags which, in their fear, many people did not consider. The corporate coup d’etat is real and unfortunately most people rely on corporate media to be “informed”. As the old saying goes, it’s much easier to fool people than to convince them that they have been fooled.
The term “conspiracy theorist”, conceived to silence and shame people adept at pattern recognition, no longer works and now serves to distinguish those retaining critical thinking skills. The real conspiracy theorists cling to the notion that the government cares about them, that the media would never lie to them, and that the pharmaceutical-medical industrial complex that makes BILLIONS from sickness wants to cure them! If one is aware of a crime and says nothing, one becomes complicit in that crime. People ARE waking up.
The damage being done by these injections will in time be so obvious that even the most indoctrinated coincidence therorists will have to take note. You are correct about the pioneers out there — many are working on mitigating damage caused and reversing side effects. However, because the most popular search engines on the planet censor links to any information which can successfully challenge the official narrative, people will have to find non-censoring search engines to find information which will expand their horizons and options. “Fact-checkers” similarly exist to maintain and prop up the official narrative. Good luck to all in need of relief from side effects, and don’t blame the messenger.
Oh dear.
Hello Readers,
This post was about my health but the comments devolved into something I’m really uncomfortable with.
NOTE: I believe that the Covid vaccinations are effective and vital. I’ve had two shots and one booster. I plan another booster soon.
NOTE: The majority of people who die from Covid are not vaxxed.
Dear Susan,
I have considered the covid vaccines as a culprit for my blood clots.
And all the doctors I’ve talked with have agreed that the vaccines might have caused my clots.
But they think that is a very low probability. And I agree.
MIGHT and IS are two very different things.
Clots are caused by something going wrong with a body. And there IS something wrong with my body, as I detail in this post. The doctors agree that an issue in the colon will highly likely cause clots.
We have now amassed a ton of data these past two years showing that the vaccines are highly effective. The majority of people dying of Covid are not vaxxed.
You really need to stop listening to conservative conspiracy theorists.
Hey, Ross. Sorry to hear you’re going through this. Please know that if you ever need someone to go with you to a doctor’s appointment, I’m happy to do so. I’m back often to visit my Dad, and he’d be happy for a bonus visit or two. So don’t hesitate to call on me. I’d be there tomorrow if I’d known about this appointment sooner that this very minute.
You will need to have someone drive you home as you will be under influence of drugs. They will wake you up ,you will think already! And you probably won’t remember the procedure. The prep was whatever flavor sports drink plus fiber added before drinking. Two bottles total. No biggie. Likely feel woosy afterwards hence driver needed after.
good luck!
I’ve had 2 – the prep was the worse part. Plz tell me u aren’t driving yourself! That’s a big no no for afterward. You got this.
Oh Ross, I feel your anticipation! Really, I do. I am having my first one on the 16th and I am a nervous Nelly!! I too have been having some issues and after years of really putting off having one, I finally was talked into it by my doctor. I am 69 years old and absolutely petrified. Let us know how it went and Good Luck!!
I understand but plz don’t be scared. The prep can be yucky but the procedure is nothing. You go to sleep and it’s over. I’ve had 2. Deep breathing, girl, you got this!
I’ve had a couple of colonoscopies. I find them tolerable—even worthwhile—as it’s not often that a camera captures my good side. I hope you get the pill cleanse rather than the liquid cleanse, but either way, it’s a procedure that puts many of life’s annoyances into perspective.
If the diagnostic clinic offers the option, then ask for reduced drugs so you can watch the procedure live. The reduction in drugs is minimal compared to the experience of dozing off while watching a program you’ve never seen before.
I hope your questions and concerns are addressed to your satisfaction.
No wine ! Don’t worry I’ll have a glass for you . Sending good thoughts from Oregon .
My thoughts are with you Ross, it is scary dealing with health issues. If you are anything like me I make myself worse with worry. My sister has had issues and is fortunately out of the woods now. Doctors have to be kind of cryptic but they do tell you things straight when they need to.
The healthcare you now have is a blessing, go Medicare!
Speaking as someone who enjoys the British NHS your health systems bewilder me.
I’ll keep you in my thoughts. Plenty of cat love for the stress x
The prep is the worst of it. It’s better to tackle something sooner than later. Wishing you the best.
I so sympathize.
My doctor has been trying to get me to get one but I just can’t since I am taking care of my parents Monday through Friday. Then there is the issue of a ride to and from. I don’t have anyone.
Different genders, different problems, but all miserable. Like getting old isn’t bad enough.
Despite everything you still have the energy to work on the Cross House, baby-stepping away. I couldn’t imagine doing what you do, even without the issues. You are my role model.
Good luck, safe driving, may the issue be an easy fix. <3
You’ll get through this with flying colors, Ross. I had my first colonoscopy last year and I was super nervous beforehand, but it was fine. I slept through the whole thing.
Do get someone to drive you home because you will be woozy and out of it for a bit after as the anesthetic wears off.
I’ll be thinking about you Tuesday morning!
I had my first colonoscopy and it wasn’t bad at all–I even kind of liked the stuff you have to drink the night before! Knowledge is better than worrying, you’ll be glad you did it! Good luck.
Colonoscioues are a pain in the butt (of course) but definitely a must to check out those mysterious inner regions. Good luck with yours!
I’m supposed to have a colonoscopy every 3-4 years but lately they’re substituting a poop test, which is fine by me. So much easier and the sample can be mailed.
Like everyone said the prep is the worst part (hope you stayed close to a toilet). Tomorrow will be a breeze, sleep through it and you won’t feel a thing. Hoping for the best outcome Ross. Please have someone drive you home though. I had a colonoscopy 8 years ago, I should be having another in 2 years. Oh joy.
Yes, I have had 2 of them. It’s is scary, all medical stuff is, but as everyone says, the prep is the worst, part and the drugs and the sleep during the procedure are great! I wish you an easy time and an excellent outcome. We will all be thinking of you on Tuesday. Hugs!
Dearest Ross I will be praying for you and sending positive energy your way. The prep is the worst part; thank goodness for a bidet! Keep up your liquids and drive carefully tomorrow. Good luck!